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This is the big one. The Saturday headlining slot is the most important single date in the UK gig calendar, which is why Blur chose it for their only major appearance this year, following their short-lived concert retirement.

But there's a lot to live up to. At the last two festivals, first Pulp then Radiohead seized the moment, and in staking their own claims to rock's aristocracy, managed to define an era in music.

For Pulp in 1995 it was Britpop, while Radiohead last year ushered in a more introspective age of pre-millennium confusion and alienation.

This year it's not really clear which way things are going, but it's probably not in Blur's direction.

That's not to marvel at the adroit way they managed to escape after they had apparently painted themselves into a mockney corner while simultaneously losing the Great Oasis War.

Their restyling as a different sort of guitar band, influenced by Pavement rather than the Small Faces, was a brave gamble that deservedly paid off.

Tonight the image of a troubled band left by the aggressive paranoia of their security is dispelled as they amble onstage and launch into 'Girls And Boys'.

Alex has his trademark cigarette, Graham his floppy hat, and Damon as usual is a whirlwind of energy. "Nice turn-out," he says, and it is - this is a crowd up for having a good time, and the high number of teenage girls at the front shows that Damon has not yet managed to shake off his pin-up status.

Blur have long since ditched the giant hamburgers of their old sets, relying on simple lighting, and the set combines the punked-up thrashes which delighted college audiences in the US last year with a festival hits flavour, and is taken from throughout their albums while including some new material.

They seem ultra relaxed, and maybe this is why this will go down as good, but not legendary. They are almost too casual, too blurred, as Damon mutters non-sequiturs - compare Thom Yorke's ferocious concentration last year.

Glastonbury is certainly doing its bit - from half a mile away up the hill it all looks stunning as burning torches punctuate the darkness and the lightshow on the Pyramid Stage looks spectacular.

And when after a lengthy encore 'Song 2' was, all too predictably, the climax, they knocked it out in what seemed about a minute, which could have been frustrating after all the teasing.